Launch Recite Me assistive technology
A child sits cross-legged on a dark lawn at night, with a large snake draped across their lap and shoulders. The child wears a blue and white tank top and looks off to the side.
A child sits cross-legged on a dark lawn at night, with a large snake draped across their lap and shoulders. The child wears a blue and white tank top and looks off to the side.

Photographer Irina Rozovsky on how she captures considered moments across the globe

—
Date
11 December 2017

When looking through the projects of Russian-born, American-raised photographer Irina Rozovsky the immediate theme is the global ground she has covered with her camera. From Yugoslavia to a three year ongoing project in the US, then to Cuba and Israel before heading back to her birth place Russia, Irina’s lens doesn’t have many boundaries in terms of its content.

Despite the far reaching journeys Irina has embarked on, the photographer’s projects are linked thematically by her use of gentle light that seeps from one image to the next. The counterpart to this, which makes Irina’s photography so unique to her, is the way each photograph contains an element of the unexpected. “I am a firm believer that once I leave the house and enter the flow of life, with feet on the ground and eyes open, that things start to happen,” she tells It’s Nice That. “The unexpected and naturally occurring, which is outside my control, is always more interesting than what I could imagine, stage, or plan for.”

As a result Irina’s photography has a distinctive pace to it. None of the images appear rushed or forced, each one almost documenting an isolated moment she has stumbled across. “It’s a lifelong craft,” she says, “learning to not make plans but be prepared for what may come.”

When discussing the various continents Irina and her camera have crossed she explains that “places are important to me”. “I seek out geographies that speak volumes about what it means to be alive, home and migrations, free will, captivity and freedom.” The photographer’s images cover these topics with consideration, never too directly so they are sensitive to the subject at hand. “I think a photograph should on one level be very simple and accessible,” she explains of this approach, “but then slip like a live fish through your fingers and make you chase its meaning, never to be entirely caught. I believe in the power of beauty.”

A white horse grazes on a dirt path in a dry, grassy landscape. Behind it, a leaning utility pole stands against a backdrop of rolling hills and a pale blue sky.
Above

Irina Rozovsky

Several dead fish lie on a concrete pavement. A bicycle wheel is positioned in the foreground, partially overlapping some of the fish.
Above

Irina Rozovsky

A camel rests on a sandy ground, wearing a colourful striped saddle blanket. In the background, a rugged, pale rock face rises under a bright sky.
Above

Irina Rozovsky

A person sits on a large rock in a sandy, outdoor setting. They wear a plain grey T-shirt and blue jeans, looking off to the side.
Above

Irina Rozovsky

A person with voluminous, reddish-brown hair looks directly at the camera with a neutral expression. They wear a dark navy shirt with a name badge that reads “MICHELE”.
Above

Irina Rozovsky

A person stands with a white bicycle on a dirt path in a forest of towering redwood trees. They wear a patterned shirt and blue trousers, looking towards the camera.
Above

Irina Rozovsky

Two children sit together on a pavement in the warm glow of late afternoon sun. The older child wears a white T-shirt and holds the younger child, who wears glasses and a red T-shirt.
Above

Irina Rozovsky

A charred, jagged tree stump stands tall against a dark, featureless sky. It is surrounded by tall, fluffy seed heads and dry grass, all cast in a deep orange and red glow.
Above

Irina Rozovsky

A small black and white dog nibbles on a whole watermelon. They are on a dusty, pale hillside overlooking a calm bay surrounded by hazy mountains.
Above

Irina Rozovsky

A sleeping child in a white hooded onesie lies on a patterned mat and blue pillow. They are surrounded by plastic bags and litter at the base of a large tree.
Above

Irina Rozovsky

A person in a white T-shirt and jeans leans over a body of water. They hold a small plastic bag containing a single gold fish.
Above

Irina Rozovsky

A red liquid stains the shoreline of a calm lake, with several empty Coca-Cola bottles scattered in the water and on the pebbles. A pair of trainers and a plastic bag lie on the beach nearby.
Above

Irina Rozovsky

Three plastic bottles of different colours and shapes act as vases for various flowers. They sit on a reflective white surface against a backdrop of a pale, cloudy sky.
Above

Irina Rozovsky

Thin, spindly trees with sparse yellow leaves stand against a twilight sky. A single, glowing orange cloud floats above a dark, distant horizon.
Above

Irina Rozovsky

A low-angle shot looking up at a gathered, pale yellow curtain hanging from a dark wooden frame. Below the fabric, a single round globe light glows against a plain white ceiling.
Above

Irina Rozovsky

Share Article

Further Info

About the Author

Lucy Bourton

—

Lucy (she/her) was part of the It’s Nice That team from 2016–2025, first joining as a staff writer after graduating from Chelsea College of Art with a degree in Graphic Design Communication, eventually becoming a senior editor on our editorial team, and most recently at Insights, a research-driven department with It’s Nice That.

It's Nice That Newsletters

Fancy a bit of It's Nice That in your inbox? Sign up to our newsletters and we'll keep you in the loop with everything good going on in the creative world.